The present invention relates to computer displays, and more particularly, to displays using a cursor control device (CCD) to select viewable objects on the display.
Avionics flight displays typically present a plurality of data and selection criteria to a pilot. For example, a display may include indicators for heading, altitude, attitude, airspeed, ambient temperature, traffic collision and avoidance, etc. Selectable menus provide an orderly means for presenting such information to a pilot. The pilots select menus and targets on each menu to operate the aircraft. The targets represent objects that must be routinely selected by the pilot to successfully fly an aircraft. Traditional flight displays require the pilot to press a button or switch to select between on-screen options.
Another selection method that has found widespread acceptance in other applications is that of using a cursor control device (CCD) such as a trackball or mouse. CCDs permit a pilot to direct an on-screen cursor to xe2x80x9cpoint toxe2x80x9d and select menus or targets on the display screen. CCD-based control systems that have been introduced in flight display systems have found general acceptance with pilots due to their intuitiveness and ease of use. However, there is still some question relating to the types of avionics operations and environments in which CCDs may be used. Typical avionics formats may have from two dozen to nearly one hundred selectable targets, with the exact number depending on the type of format to be displayed. The number of selectable targets on a visual display of a navigation map, for example, may vary greatly depending on the location of the aircraft. In turbulent or unstable conditions it may be difficult to predictably move a cursor with a CCD to select one of several targets, especially if the targets are displayed even somewhat close to each other. Because of these concerns, current avionics CCD use is limited to display screens having easily selectable targets.
It is therefore an object of the invention to make it easier for a user to use a CCD to select a target on a display.
It is another object of the invention to use a commonly known CCD design to select targets on a display.
It is a further object of the advantage to assist the selection of targets on a display, wherein the assistance is barely noticeable to a user.
A feature of the invention is a method of assisting or modifying cursor movement when the cursor is at least partially moving toward a selectable target on a display screen.
An advantage of the invention is that cursor movement increases the reliability of CCD use in a turbulent or otherwise unstable environment.
The invention provides a method of assisting cursor movement toward a selectable target on a display screen. According to the method, an initial cursor movement is detected. It is determined if the initial cursor movement is directed at least partially toward the target. The direction of the initial cursor movement is modified based at least on how much of the initial cursor movement is directed at least partially toward the target.
The invention also provides a method of assisting movement of a cursor toward a target on a display screen. According to the method, an initial cursor movement is detected. It is determined whether the direction of the initial cursor movement includes a component that is directed toward the target. A movement correction is defined as at least a portion of the component when the cursor is within a predetermined distance from the target. The initial cursor movement is combined with the movement correction to create a total cursor movement. The magnitude of the total cursor movement is adjusted to equal the magnitude of the initial cursor movement.
The invention further provides a method of assisting movement of a cursor on a display screen, wherein the display screen presents first and second targets thereon. According to the method, an initial cursor movement is detected. It is determined whether the direction of the initial cursor movement includes a first component that is directed toward the first target. A first movement correction is defined as at least a portion of the first component. It is determined whether the direction of the initial cursor movement includes a second component that is directed toward the second target. A second movement correction is defined as at least a portion of the second component. The initial cursor movement is combined with the first movement correction and the second movement correction to create a total cursor movement. The magnitude of the total cursor movement is adjusted to equal the magnitude of the initial cursor movement.